The things we carry: migrants' personal collection management and use.

Purpose: This paper explores personal collection management and use in the context of migration. The paper further investigates how migrants use items in personal collections to reflect their self-identity and learn about their heritage. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were used to collect data from 14 immigrants in New Zealand. Findings: Findings show how migrants perceive the value of their personal collections, manage their personal collections during migration and use their personal collections as instruments of identity formation, self-awareness, and connections to cultural heritage. Originality/value: Insights presented in this study increase an understanding of the critical role personal information plays in the migration and integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]